Constitution Of 1787: Limiting Power Of The States

In 1787, the Constitution of the United States was signed by thirty-nine delegates. This new constitution was designed essentially to answer two questions. The first was the question of sovereignty and where the powers flowed from. The second was the question of limiting power. The people did not want one person to be too powerful. The Constitution of 1787 became the supreme law of the land. Checks and Balances was formed to ensure that no individual group became too strong and helped shape the government. This caused tensions between two groups known as the Federalists and the Antifederalists. The group who supported the Constitution became known as the Federalists. Before the ratification of the Constitution of 1787, the Articles of Confederation gave most of the power to the states. However, the Federalists wanted the national government to hold the majority of the power and not the states. They were in favor of limiting the power of the states. They did not believe a Bill of Rights was necessary because the state constitutions should protect the individual rights. Federalists believed that the best way to protect their rights was through a large republic. They feared disorder, anarchy, and chaos which would come from the power in the people’s hands. …show more content…
They believed that a strong central government would produce tyranny, which was exactly what they had recently escaped from. This new government would produce an increase in taxes, obliterate the states, form dictators, favor the wealthy, and destroy individual freedoms. Antifederalists wanted strong state governments and weak federal governments. They felt that the only way to protect the rights of the people was by a Bill of Right. They did not trust the government with their freedoms and wanted an assurance that their rights were preserved. Antifederalists feared the dangers of a strong centralized government and what is would do to their